Once you’ve been involved in a car crash, the insurance coverage on both your vehicle and the other vehicle(s) involved in the collision may be implicated. This means that you most likely will be making insurance claims. Those claims typically relate to the damage to your vehicle (property damage) and injuries to you (bodily injury). It now becomes important to appropriately document your claim in order to adequately support the ones you are making. With each type of claim, there are commonly two categories for which you must document it: liability (who’s at fault) and damages (the injuries and monetary losses).
For liability, you need to act quickly. Accident scene evidence can quickly change or vanish. Taking pictures and video is of utmost importance. Getting the names and contact information of any witnesses can be pivotal in aiding a claim. With the video capabilities of common handheld devices, such as smartphones, getting witness statements has become relatively easy. You cannot be shy about asking, and you will find that most people are more than willing to give a statement.
For injury damages, your medical providers will document your injuries in your medical records, and your medical expenses will be reflected in the billing. Thus, you need to make sure you communicate all of the issues you are having with each part of your body. Your employer will be able to help you document your lost wages. Typically, an employer’s human resources or personnel department can easily provide a statement of how much time you had to miss from work and your rate of pay. For property damage, an estimate from a repair shop is typically acceptable documentation.
Documenting your insurance claim and dealing with the claim itself can be very time consuming and overwhelming, especially if you are trying to recover from your injuries and fulfill all of your other family, work and life obligations. Hiring an attorney can ease this stress and allow you to focus on your recovery. Attorneys who handle car wrecks have experience in dealing with insurance claims and know exactly what needs to be done in order to facilitate your claim and do it in an efficient manner. The Louisville car accident lawyers at Bahe Cook Cantley & Nefzger PLC have represented thousands of people injured in a wide range of motor vehicle accidents. If you are involved in a car accident and are seeking consultation, contact us today.